DAILY NEWS: Miami and Palm Springs Announce their Openers, and a New Doc Program for Canadian Filmm

DAILY NEWS: Miami and Palm Springs Announce their Openers, and a New Doc Program for Canadian Filmm

DAILY NEWS: Miami and Palm Springs Announce their Openers, and a New Doc Program for Canadian Filmmakers

by Eugene Hernandez and Wendy Mitchell/indieWIRE with a report by Christopher Henderson

>> Miami Fest To Open in February With Spanish Comedy “The Other Side of the Bed”

(indieWIRE: 11.25.02) — Emilio Martinez Lazaro‘s “The Other Side of theBed” will open the 20th annual Miami International Film Festival, newfestival director Nicole Guillemet announced. More than 50 films will followthe Spanish comedy in screenings from February 21 to March 2. Venues willrange from downtown Miami’s Gusman Center for the Performing Arts to thesands of South Miami Beach.

Among the festival’s featured films will be John Malkovich‘s directorialdebut “The Dancer Upstairs“, an adaptation of Nicholas Shakespeare‘s book about a dedicated police detective searching for a guerilla leader starringJavier Bardem (“Before Night Falls“); and “Stevie,” director Steve James‘ (“Hoop Dreams“) documentary about a young man who James mentored years ago but who becomes incarcerated.

“We are excited about presenting a richly diverse slate of films, all ofwhich are eminently worthy of the Festival’s 20th anniversary celebration,”said Guillemet, who took over the helm of the Miami Film Festival afterleaving her role as co-director at Sundance earlier this year. “Withoutexception these films tell great stories and are representative of thewealth of outstanding international cinema.”

Guillemet also announced a new program called “Encuentros de CineIberoamericano en Miami,” an effort to support Latin filmmakers that willrun concurrent to the festival. “Encuentros” will introduce 10 up-and-comingfilmmakers to distributors acquisitions executives and other industryprofessionals.

Also set to screen is “Pandemic: Facing AIDS” by Rory Kennedy. The film,examining the AIDS crisis in India, Thailand, and Brazil as well as othercountries, will also be shown this week at an event hosted by the UnitedNations in New York. Other announced films include Iceland’s Oscar entry“Hafid,” Peter Sollett‘s “Raising Victor Vargas,” a comedy about a teenager trying to win the heart of the prettiest girl in his neighborhood, and “TilHuman Voices Wake Us,” the story of a man who is haunted by the spirit ofhis childhood sweetheart when he returns to his hometown starring.[Christopher Henderson with additional reporting by Brian Brooks]

[For more information: www.miamifilmfestival.com]

>> “Callas” to Open Palm Springs with North American Premiere

(indieWIRE: 11.25.02) — The North American premiere of Franco Zeffirelli‘s“Callas Forever” will open the 14th annual Palm Springs International FilmFestival on January 9 with the films’ stars Jeremy Irons and Fanny Ardant expected to attend along with the famed Italian director. “Callas Forever”is a fictionalized take on the final days of opera legend Maria Callas inwhich a Faustian impresario and talent agent, played by Irons, entersMaria’s (Ardant) life and convinces her to make an ill-fated comeback.

“‘Callas Forever’ is a perfect example of the sort of film the Palm SpringsFestival strives for,” commented the event’s executive director, MitchLevine, in a festival release. “International in scope and subject matter,it’s an absorbing, fascinating, and highly cinematic story of a well-knownbeloved individual.”

The Palm Springs International Film Festival takes place in the Californiadesert community through January 20. In addition to its programming fromaround the globe, the event spotlights gay and lesbian films and Jewish andBollywood sections, and it screens most of the films submitted forconsideration for the Best Foreign Language Academy Award. Next month, thefestival will also have a special screening of Rob Marshall‘s “Chicago” as aprelude to the 12-day event. [Brian Brooks]

>> Canada Film Board Joins Program For Emerging Documentary Filmmakers

(indieWIRE: 11.25.02) — The National Film Board of Canada and the OntarioMedia Development Corp. announced a new program partnership to help emergingOntario documentarians. The NFB and OMDC will support the production of upto six new half-hour docs over the next 18 months through the OMDC’s AlWaxman Calling Card program.

“As a co-producer we can offer a financial contribution as well asmentoring, marketing, and distribution support to make sure the films andfilmmakers achieve both excellence and prominence,” said Sylvia Sweeney,executive producer of the NFB’s Ontario Production Centre, in a preparedstatement.

In addition to a cash award of $45,000 (Canadian) per film, the programoffers business skills training and production advice. The program’s nextdeadline is December 13. For more information, visit www.omdc.on.ca.[Wendy Mitchell]